Improvement in fire-escapes



'A i UNITED STATES JOSIAH LOHR, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT l PATENT OFFICE.

N FIRE-ESCAPES.

"To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JosLiH LoHE, of the city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same. reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart 0f this specification, in Which- Figure l represents a sideelevation of my apparatus when arranged in position to be drawn throughthe' streets. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same when inposition to rescue persons from a burning building.

Similar letters of reference in both views indicate corresponding parts.

rlhis invention consists in a mast or pole provided with suitableplatforms and rigging and connected to an oscillating shaft, which hasits bearings in lugs rising from arevolving table or platform, incombination with a truck supporting said revolving platform and with asuitable hoisting mechanism, in such a manner that said Vmast can beturned down to a horizontal position and at right angles with the axlesof the truck, ready to be drawn through the streets of a city or town,or that it (the mast) can be raised to any desired angle and revolvedwith the platform in either direction, according to the height orposition' of those parts 0f a building which may be on fire or fromwhich it may be desired to remove persons or articles.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe it.

A represents a truck supported byy four wheels, B, and provided with aplatform, C, and draft-pole D, that serves to draw the same with all itsappendages through the streets of a city or town. The center of theplatform C of the truck forms the bearing or step for the centralgudgeon, a, on which the table E turns freely in either direction. Thistable is proquire.

tion by corner-pieces c, and it is further steadied by shrouds d,extending from the head of the mast down to arms e, which are firmlysecured to the ends of the shaft F beyond the table E, so that they donot interfere With the motion ot' the shaft or mast.

Vhen the mast is brought down to a horizontal position, its head restson an additional two-wheel truck, H, which also supports the basket I,the use of which will be hereinafter explained.

The mast is raised and lowered by a rope, f, extending from a tripleblock, g, around three blocks, h, and a windlass, z', and thence to acleat, j. where its end is belayed. The blocks h are secured to the mastat different distances from its head, as experience may dictate, and thetriple. block g is rigidly attached to the the table E. Two brackets,7c, secured to the sides of this standard, forni the bearings for thewindlass, and the cleat j is firmly secured on its "front edge. Bygiving to the rope a few turns round the Windlass and taking hold of itsloose end one man, with the neces sary assistance to turn the windlass,is enabled t0 control the position of the mast, and when he desires toretain the same in any desired position he belays the rope on the cleatj, and the object is accomplished.

K K are two platforms, which are rmly secured to the mast at differentdistances from its head, and which are intended to afford room for theiiremen to work upon at different heights. A hook, Z, secured to therope Pt, which extends down through a suitable channel in the interiorof the mast, serves to hoist up the hose to the upper platform, K, and asimilar hook, Z, secured to a rope, Zf, is intended to hoist up the hoseto the lower platform, K', and these hooks are so constructed that theyembrace the hose and hold it at the desired height, thus giving to thefiremen a chance to direct the current of Water without being obliged tosustain the Weight of the hose from the platform down to the ground.

`A hook, ZZ, attached to a rope, ZDF, which emanates from the top of themast, and which is intended to extend down through the interior of thesame and out at its side below, so that it can be handled from the tableE, is intended to sustain the basket I, which is used upper end of astandard, J, which rises from for thepurpose of rescuing persons orarticles from a burning building.

The mast itself is intended to be made of wood and of snlTicient lengthto reach to the top of the highest building. It will be covered withfire-proof paint, and ought to be made hollow and provided with a seriesof small holes, so that a current of water can be passed through them toprevent the mast from catching fire if it should be used close to aburning building.

The operation is as follows: When the apparatus is put up in atruck-house or drawn through the streets of a city or town, the mast isturned down to a horizontal position, its head resting on the secondarytruck H, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings. On arriving at theplace of theiire the secondary truck is removed and the mast israiscd toa vertical or oblique position, so that the table E can be turned andvthe shaft F brought in a position parallel, or nearly so, to the burningbuilding. The firemen are now enabled to play from the platform K K onany part of the burning building, and if it is desired to approach anypart of the building the mast is brought in an inclined position, asshown in Fig. 2, and by these means the basket I may be brought beforeany one of the windows of a house to allow of rescuing persons or articles. The operation of the mast is considerably facilitated by therevolving table E, which may be turned by suitable guy-ropes, or in anyother desirable manner.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the revolving table E, oscillating shaft F, mast G,and Windlass i, all constructed and operating in the manner and for thepurpose substantially as herein shown and described.

JosiAH Lona.

Vitnesses:

Tiros. S. J. DOUGLAS, Giao. W. REED.

